In 1834, Louis Victor and Pierre-Joseph-Celestin Baume, members of the Baume family, founded the Societe Baume Feres in Jura, a region in Switzerland. In 1844 Joseph Celestin Baume went to England to establish relations there. It became official in London in 1850, but the company continued to grow and expand in Europe and, in 1918; one of the grandsons of the founding brother formed a partnership with Paul Mercier. In 1921, the brand was awarded the Geneva Hallmark for quality. The pieces from this period are now rare collector's pieces. In 1937 William Baume withdrew from the business. He was followed into retirement by Paul Mercier and the jeweller Constantin de Gorski joined the company.
Baume & Mercier watches are today synonymous of excellence and elegance.
Since 1885 Baume & Mercier have been winning awards for their innovations and design. Their signature range is the Riviera, launched in 1973. This was a sports watch with distinctive gold and steel features and an unusual 12 sided bezel. To test its durability and precision, this watch was mounted on the wheel of a BMW M1 before the start of the Le Mans 24-hours race. It withstood high speeds as well as the pressure of fast acceleration. It was not affected by the centrifugal force of spinning wheels, nor by heavy rainfall or intense heat from the overworked disk brakes. At the end of the race the watch ran with as much precision as it had at the beginning.